


In A Place That Is Full Of Love

by nightberrypearl



Series: Twohyun Week 2018 - @nightberrypearl [3]
Category: NU'EST
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angst, Brief mention of sex but it's so minor it's almost not there, Falling In Love, Fluff, M/M, Mythical Beings & Creatures
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2019-07-23 21:39:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 15,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16167422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightberrypearl/pseuds/nightberrypearl
Summary: In a place that is full of love, my time with you was like a sweet fantasy.For Twohyun Week 2018, Day 3: Sweet Fantasy





	In A Place That Is Full Of Love

**Author's Note:**

> Title taken from "And I" - NU'EST W's OST for Mr. Sunshine (translation credit @melodia_muse)
> 
> Anyone who's been following me on twitter might now how much grief writing this has caused me. I never meant for it to turn out so long but it did. I was working on this for about... 2.5 weeks and complaining the whole time XD when I came up with this idea a while back, I really looked forward to writing it, my initial estimate was 5-10k words and that estimate just kept going up and up as I continued writing

_In a place that is full of love, my time with you was like a sweet fantasy._

 

The village that Jonghyun lived in was small and quiet. Nothing particularly special. As was typical of a village as small and remote as theirs, their houses were modest and made to almost blend in with the forest that encompassed the little mountain valley dwelling. His village had been the same for years, at least since he was born. It stood frozen, seemingly unaffected by the passage of time. While the people within its bounds passed away and more people were born, the village remained untouched. There was no such thing as a foreign face where Jonghyun lived. Such a thing was not possible for a community as small as theirs.

However, while their village itself was ordinary, the forest that surrounded them was anything but. The forest was a mystical place filled with many secrets, some secrets that not even the village elders knew. There were rumours of guardians that protected the forest and its inhabitants from harm and destruction, stories of spirits that kept the wildlife flourishing and beautiful even in the harshest of winters, and tales of all manner of supernatural inhabitants. It was said that the creatures that lived in the forest were unlike those that lived in any other forest. It was said that those that lived in the woodland that surrounded Jonghyun’s seemingly insignificant village were more sentient, more human, and more magical than the species that lived in other places. There were even myths of shapeshifters, humans capable of shifting into animal form, and wood nymphs and elves that supposedly lived under the protection of the tall forest canopy.

Every time Jonghyun stepped foot in the forest, the moment that he passed the tall grass that marked its border, he instantly felt the gentle thrumming presence of the magic that permeated through every inch of his surroundings. It felt akin to the warmth of the sun on a warm spring day – comforting and familiar. He loved spending his days in the forest, wandering around, exploring its depths and discovering some of the secrets which it held. He knew that however often he visited, and for however much time he spent in the embrace of the forest’s energy, he would never get tired of it, and there would always be more for him to uncover.

The forest was vast, never-ending, and constantly growing and changing. In every way, the forest was alive.

The village he lived in was stagnant and boring, but the forest made Jonghyun feel energised and invigorated.

Jonghyun didn’t often come across other people during his ventures into the forest. To his knowledge, the nearest settlement to them was still rather far away and so it was unlikely that he would ever meet someone from there in the areas which he often found himself. Once or twice he would cross paths with someone from his own village who was out picking berries or collecting firewood, but after a quick greeting, they would part and Jonghyun would be once more left on his own. Not that he minded.

So, it was unusual and surprising when one day, as he was taking a stroll along the banks of a mountain stream that cut through the shrubbery and weaved in and out of the ancient trees, he stumbled across another man.

The man sat beside the river with one long leg outstretch in front of him and the other bent bringing his knee towards his chest so that one of his arms could rest comfortably on top while the other lay comfortably by his side. His head was tilted upwards towards the sky, and his head and back were supported by the trunk of a sturdy oak tree. His eyes were closed but fluttered open when Jonghyun took a tentative step towards the other man.

The man tilted his head to the side as he regarded Jonghyun curiously. Slowly, so as not to startle Jonghyun, the man stood up, brushing off the dirt from his red-brown trousers and smoothing out the wrinkles from his pure white button-down shirt. It was unusual attire for someone to wear into a forest, Jonghyun thought, and it was very different from his own simple, jumper that had faded into pale blue from all the washes it had been through, and his light salmon-y coloured trousers.

“Are you lost?” the man called softly over the sounds of the trickling stream. His voice was deep, but not gruff, it was mellow and flowed smoothly from the man’s lips.

Jonghyun shook his head lightly before quietly clearing his throat and replying with an equally soft “no”.

Gingerly, the man began to walk towards Jonghyun, his eyes searching Jonghyun’s own to ask for permission to come closer. Jonghyun didn’t stop him and let him continue to approach until they were stood before each other with only a metre between them.

From up close, Jonghyun could see that he was tall, at least half a head taller than Jonghyun himself, broad-shouldered and lean. Under the sunlight, his brown eyes glimmered with flecks of gold and the red in his deep auburn hair was accentuated.

“You’re not from my village.” Jonghyun stated plainly. Jonghyun never forgot a face, and he was certain that he would especially never forget a face as handsome as this man’s.

“No, I’m not.” The man confirmed.

“Where are you from?” Jonghyun asked curiously.

“Somewhere over the mountains.” He answered vaguely.

He knew there was a village in the next valley over, but surely this was too far for someone to have walked by themselves with no other personal belongings. But sensing the man’s evasiveness, he let the subject drop, accepting his answer.

“Did you come to the forest with a purpose?” the man inquired suddenly.

“No, just to wander around and explore.”

“Would you…like you keep me company?”

Jonghyun took a moment to consider the offer. He let his eyes sweep over the man who stood before him. He didn’t look like a threat, but Jonghyun knew that looks could be deceiving and that blindly following a stranger around in this forest could be dangerous. But for some reason, Jonghyun felt himself compelled to agree to his proposition.

“O-okay.”

With Jonghyun’s response, the man’s face lit up, almost blindingly. His upturned eyes formed thin crescents as his cheeks lifted and a joyful smile appeared on his face.

“Minhyun.” He said, “My name is Minhyun.”

Jonghyun tested the name out, repeating it aloud and liking the way it sounded before giving Minhyun his own name.

“It’s nice to meet you Jonghyun.” Minhyun said, still with a smile painted on his face.

“Likewise.” Jonghyun returned with a smile of his own tugging at his lips.

 

\\\\\\\

 

Minhyun led Jonghyun through the forest, showing him paths he never knew existed and introduced him to the names of things he had never once heard of before, as Jonghyun tried to soak up as much of the information as he could. Jonghyun wondered how Minhyun knew so much about the forest when he had claimed that he wasn’t from around these parts, but he decided not to question it.

After a while, Jonghyun’s feet had grown tired and he himself was getting worn out. Voicing this to Minhyun, the taller man thought for a second before offering to take Jonghyun to a place where he could sit and rest. Even though Jonghyun had only known Minhyun for a few hours, he already felt like he could trust the other and so didn’t hesitate before agreeing.

As Jonghyun followed Minhyun to wherever he was headed, he noticed that he didn’t seem tired at all, in fact he seemed just as energised as he had a few hours ago.

“Are you not tired?”

“No, not really,” Minhyun replied with a shrug, “I don’t get tired very easily, I’m quite used to spending all day running around.”

“Oh.” Jonghyun supposed that made sense given Minhyun’s lithe but built stature. Musculature like that didn’t come easy, he could tell the Minhyun had probably worked hard to maintain it.

They arrived at their destination after a few more minutes of walking. Minhyun had brought them to a small clearing encompassed by trees. There was nothing within the tree-bound glade aside from a few large rocks dotted around here and there. The two of them opted to sit and rest against the largest rock in the centre of the grassy plane.

Jonghyun let out a sigh of relief as he sat down and took the pressure off his feet. He heard Minhyun chuckle lightly beside him and Jonghyun shot him a look warning him not to laugh at his lack of physical prowess. The chuckles subsided but a warm and fond smile lingered on Minhyun’s lips as his eyes locked on his own as if trying to convey some silent message that Jonghyun couldn’t decipher. Jonghyun was the first to break the eye contact, turning his gaze down to his hands in his lap that were nervously fumbling with the hem of his jumper. Now that it was just the two of them sitting in silence, Jonghyun didn’t know what to do with himself – he never had been the best at making conversation. Fortunately, Minhyun seemed to be better at talking than himself.

“So, I’m guessing you’re from the nearby village then?”

“Mhmm.” He hummed in agreement.

“I’ve never been there. I’ve seen it in passing but never visited. What’s it like?”

“It’s…” Jonghyun paused for a moment in contemplation over how best to describe the place where he grew up.

 “It has everything that you would expect of a small valley village and nothing more.” He ended up saying. “But it’s home, so even if it’s nothing out of the ordinary, to me, it’s still special. I was born there, I grew up there, even if it looks like plain and ordinary to someone else, I have too many memories there that it will always be a warm and beautiful place to me.”

Jonghyun could feel Minhyun’s eyes on him, but instead of being made to feel uncomfortable, Minhyun’s gaze was encouraging and so Jonghyun continued to talk.

“I think… I think that it’s not necessarily how a place looks that gives it value, and the same applies to objects and possessions. My house may not be the biggest nor the grandest in the village, but to me it is the most valuable because it’s  _my_  house. Do you know what I mean?”

Minhyun seemed to ponder over his words for a moment, before giving a response.

“I think so… I’ve never—I haven’t lived in one singular place all my life like you have, but I think I understand. The worth of something, or somewhere, isn’t dependant on its monetary value nor its physical qualities, but rather the sentiments and memories attached to it.”

“Yeah. Exactly,” Jonghyun nodded, glad that Minhyun understood him, “and so even the plainest and most typical things can become priceless.” He added as he turned back to face Minhyun.

Minhyun regarded him with a look that he couldn’t understand, but it quickly faded into an increasingly familiar eye smile.

“Tell me about what your village means to you then.” Minhyun suggested sounding interested, “Do you have siblings that helped you form fond memories, a warm family, a nice community? What makes your home  _yours_?”

Under normal circumstances, Jonghyun wouldn’t find himself talking much about himself, much less with someone he had only met earlier that day. But there was something about Minhyun that made him feel at peace. Instead of having known each other for just a few hours, it felt like they had been close friends for years. Minhyun’s presence was already familiar and comforting to Jonghyun for reasons he couldn’t fathom but somehow deep in his subconscious, it made sense.

And so, without much hesitation, Jonghyun found himself talking about the two older sisters back at home that used to baby him growing up, treating him as their precious little brother. He went into detail about all the times his sisters would come home from school, secretly bringing him sweets and snacks that they had bought from the little corner shop on their way back. He tried to vocalise the love and care that his parents readily gave him by the bucket-load, painting a picture of an affectionate family that anyone would be proud to call their own. And he described the serene and peaceful community that had been teaching him how to be an honest and respectable person since a young age.

Jonghyun went to great depths in describing some of the memories that he treasured the most with the hope that they would be enough to convey to Minhyun exactly what his home was to him.

And as he spoke, never once did Minhyun’s attention waver. He was the perfect listener, laughing along with Jonghyun as he recounted some of the funnier things that had happened in his life, nodding and humming sympathetically when Jonghyun reminisced over the more emotional moments, and interjecting with a well formulated question here and there that kept the conversation going.

Then when Jonghyun had decided that he had done enough talking, Minhyun returned the favour by taking Jonghyun on a trip through his own memories. He learned that Minhyun liked exploring the forest as much as himself because to him, the forest was like home, and he loved that even though he had spent so much time within its borders, there were still areas that were new and unfamiliar to him. Minhyun told him about his own older sister and it was interesting for Jonghyun to hear about how different their relationship was compared to his relationship with his own sisters. That wasn’t to say that Minhyun’s sister didn’t care for him, but where Jonghyun’s sisters had always been nothing but kind, Minhyun and his sister were playful and teasing, laughing at each other but knowing that there were never any ill intentions. Jonghyun supposed it was a different kind of sibling relationship, and it didn’t mean that Minhyun’s sister cared any less for her younger brother.

The more Minhyun spoke, the more Jonghyun thought that Minhyun’s life sounded more exciting and thrilling than his own. He was grateful, of course, for everything in his life and there wasn’t really anything that he would want to change, but when compared side by side, Jonghyun’s life was shades of grey – monotonous and predictable – where Minhyun’s was the whole spectrum of colours, including all the hues that existed.

There was a small part of Jonghyun that wanted a taste of that for himself. To be able to experience the unpredictability of life.    

 

\\\\\

 

Jonghyun had lost track of how long they had been sitting side by side against the rock in the middle of that clearing, so when the sun began to set over the mountain peaks in the distance, signalling that it was time for Jonghyun to head back home, it felt like his time with Minhyun had come to an end all too soon. But as the orange glow of the sun continued to sink lower and lower behind the mountains, paving the way for the moon and the star-filled night sky, Jonghyun knew that he had to leave. No matter how safe the forest was, it was never good to be out there when there was no sunlight to illuminate the path ahead of him.

He stood up with a heavy heart, sad that he would have to leave. Stalling for time, he took care to brush off every speck of dirt that marred his trousers before tilting his head up to meet Minhyun’s eyes.

“I can walk you back to your village if you want?” Minhyun offered.

As much as Jonghyun would have liked to accept the offer in order to spend more time in Minhyun’s company, he had to politely decline reasoning that he didn’t wish to inconvenience the taller man.

“Are you sure you remember the way back?” Minhyun asked sounding concerned.

“Yes, I’m sure.” Jonghyun replied as confidently as he could. Truthfully, he wasn’t that sure, but he knew that Minhyun probably didn’t live near him and he should be making his own way back to wherever he was from before it got too dark instead of taking the time to walk Jonghyun home.

Minhyun looked at him sceptically before sighing, seemingly giving up his plan to accompany Jonghyun back.

“C-can I see you again?” Jonghyun asked hesitantly, with his voice carrying a hint of hope that they could meet again soon.

Minhyun’s eyes lit up upon hearing Jonghyun’s question.

“Of course, tomorrow – if you’re not busy – I’ll be right here. This very clearing. I’ll wait for you.”

Jonghyun beamed at him in response, suddenly excited and impatient for the next day to arrive.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then.” Jonghyun declared with a shy smile worming its way onto his face. “Good night Minhyun.” He added.

He let Minhyun return the farewell before he turned and began to make his way home.

It turned out that the clearing wasn’t as far from his village as he had thought, he found himself at the village border within 15 minutes of walking. Once he left the forest, he began to feel the fatigue catch up on him. Walking through the forest for the majority of the day had taken its toll on him, making him head straight home, towards his inviting bed.

In his half-awake state, he didn’t notice the pair of golden brown upturned eyes of the auburn-haired fox that was watching him from just within the forest bounds as he entered his home – the same fox that had been keeping a close, but silent, watch on him from a distance from the moment that Jonghyun had parted from Minhyun at the clearing.

 

\\\\\

 

Jonghyun woke up the next morning refreshed and with the promise of being able to see Minhyun again making his stomach flutter in excitement. As much as he wanted to ditch all of his responsibilities and just go running into the forest the moment he woke up, he couldn’t. Besides, it was unlikely that Minhyun would be at the clearing at the crack of dawn anyway – even though he said he would be waiting, he probably wasn’t going to be waiting since morning.

Tamping down on his excitement and trying to control the splitting grin that bloomed on his face every time even just the thought of Minhyun’s name flew into his mind, Jonghyun made his way out of his room for breakfast before beginning his chores for the day.

It wasn’t until the mid-afternoon that he had finally finished all that he had been tasked with. As quickly, but as diligently, as he could, he had run around the house helping his mother clean up the place, and the moment that she declared that they were done, Jonghyun had bounded into the shower to wash off the smell of sweat before nearly sprinting into the forest.

As he got nearer the clearing, he slowed his footsteps a little, so he could calm his breathing and let his heart return to beating at a normal pace. All of his efforts were proved futile when his heart leapt, and he found himself once more short of breath as he saw Minhyun, dressed just as immaculately as before, sitting exactly where they had been sitting the previous day.

Minhyun grinned at him when Jonghyun came into his line of sight, and immediately he patted the space on the grass next to him, gesturing for Jonghyun to join him. It was an invitation that Jonghyun didn’t hesitate to accept.

“You waited.” Jonghyun noted as he sat down right next to Minhyun, close enough that their arms brushed every so often.

“I did.” Minhyun said as he turned to beam at Jonghyun happily, “I told you I would.”

“I hope you weren’t waiting here for too long…” Jonghyun trailed off shyly.

“No length of time is too long when it comes to you.” Minhyun stated unabashedly, causing a blush to spread rapidly on Jonghyun’s cheeks.

Minhyun chuckled as Jonghyun hid his reddening face in his hands out of embarrassment.

“So, what did you do today?” Minhyun asked, changing the subject much to Jonghyun’s pleasure.

Overcoming his previously embarrassment, Jonghyun lifted his head up from his hands to lean it back against the rock behind him before letting out a long sigh.

“Chores. Helping out my mother around the house.”

“Sounds tiring.” Minhyun noted.

Jonghyun hummed in agreement as his eyes began to drift shut, his body too drained of energy to keep them open.

He faintly registered the sound of Minhyun’s voice saying something to him, but all he could do was produce an incoherent mumble as he succumbed to welcoming pull of sleep.

 

\\\\\

 

Jonghyun stirred from his slumber after an unknown length of time. He woke up with his head cushioned by something warm and to the feeling of fingers delicately carding through his hair. Slowly, he opened his eyes to find himself lying on his back on the grass, his head pillowed on Minhyun’s lap, with Minhyun’s fingers softly playing with his hair. Noticing Jonghyun waking up, Minhyun looked down at him and flashed him that familiar soft smile that Jonghyun loved to see.

“Hey there sleepyhead, finally waking up?” Minhyun asked with a hint of teasing in his tone.

Jonghyun grumbled sleepily and blinked blearily up at Minhyun before making a response.

“How did I end up here, I didn’t fall asleep like this…?”

Jonghyun watched on, fascinated, as the tips of Minhyun’s ears began to turn a deep shade of red.

“Well, um, no. You fell asleep sitting and then your head fell onto my shoulder…” Minhyun began, sounding slightly shy, “And I figured it would hurt your neck to sleep like that for too long, so I shuffled you so that you were lying down instead.”

“On your lap?” Jonghyun questioned with one eyebrow raised.

“Well that was just a bonus.” Minhyun replied cheekily.

Jonghyun lightly slapped Minhyun’s arm in mock annoyance as he sat up and settled himself against Minhyun’s side once more, slumping down so that his head could rest more comfortably against the taller man’s shoulder without making his neck cramp.

Jonghyun felt Minhyun tense slightly in surprise before quickly relaxing again.

“It’s getting late again Jonghyun-ah.” Minhyun said with a hint of regret lacing his words as he looked up at the quickly darkening sky.

“You should go home soon, before it gets dark.” He continued when Jonghyun made no response.

Jonghyun grumbled, reluctant to part from Minhyun after having spent most of their time together sleeping. But nevertheless, he listened and so with Minhyun’s help, began to pick himself up from the grass. He let Minhyun walk him up until the edge of the clearing before he stopped and turned around to face Minhyun who looked confused as to why Jonghyun suddenly stopped.

“You don’t need to walk me back you know.”

Minhyun sighed, looking down to his feet with a small smile on his lips before looking back up to meet Jonghyun’s eyes.

“I figured you wouldn’t let me. Though I wish you would.”

“You don’t need to—”

“But I want to.” Minhyun interrupted. 

The sincerity that dripped from Minhyun’s words sent a flurry of indescribable feelings coursing through his body as he struggled to bite back a smile.  And then without warning, Jonghyun stepped forward to close the distance between them, and wrapping his arms around Minhyun’s waist, he pulled them into a relaxed embrace. He was just tall enough to rest his forehead against Minhyun’s shoulder as he buried himself in Minhyun’s slender frame. He felt Minhyun tense out of shock for a moment before quickly relaxing and winding his own arms around Jonghyun, bringing him in closer.

Jonghyun’s eyes fluttered to a close as he basked in the heat that Minhyun radiated and he felt himself melt further into Minhyun’s arms as he breathed in deeply and his nose was filled with a scent that was so distinctly Minhyun. It was a mix of the musky scent of the forest coupled with something sweeter and more enticing. Being in Minhyun’s arms was a sensory overload and he deeply wished that he could stay there and never leave.

“Will you wait for me again tomorrow?” Jonghyun asked tentatively into Minhyun’s shoulder, hoping that Minhyun wouldn’t be busy.

“Of course.” Came the whispered response.

Eventually the two of them pulled away, albeit very reluctantly, neither of them particularly wanting to let go. But with the promise of tomorrow, they found separating for the night a little easier to bear.

And so, just as he did the previous night, Jonghyun made his way back to the village alone, never once turning back to notice the pair of fox eyes that watched him to make sure he made a safe return journey home.

 

\\\\\

 

Fortunately, Jonghyun was given a day off from household chores the next day and so he found himself trekking through the forest towards the clearing, their clearing, the moment he finished his breakfast.

With it being fairly early in the morning, he didn’t expect to see Minhyun waiting for him, yet there he was, laid down in their spot, hands folded on his stomach, eyes closed and breathing softly as he slept.

Jonghyun approached quietly so as not to disrupt Minhyun from his sleep. Eventually he found himself knelt down beside Minhyun, studying his expressionless face. His hand reached forward of its own accord to brush away the soft auburn locks of hair that were swept over his eyes. And after, as his fingers trailed over the contours of Minhyun’s face, as his hand moved to cup the other man’s cheek, he felt Minhyun move beneath his grasp as he smiled against Jonghyun’s palm.

“Good morning.” Minhyun muttered, his voice gruff from having just woken up.

“Morning.” Jonghyun whispered, slightly embarrassed at being caught caressing Minhyun’s face in his sleep.

Minhyun finally opened his eyes at the sound of Jonghyun’s voice, and sat up partially, propping himself up on his elbows and bringing his face up to be level with Jonghyun’s own.

“You’re here early.” Minhyun pointed out.

“I didn’t have any chores today.” Jonghyun replied, “And I wanted to see you again sooner.”

Hearing Jonghyun’s admission, Minhyun’s trademark megawatt smile made another appearance, eliciting a similar smile on Jonghyun’s face.

They sat there with matching dopey grins on their faces until a thought occurred to Jonghyun and he broke the silence.

“Did you sleep here all night?”

“Yes.” Minhyun replied, as if sleeping in the middle of the forest on a bed of grass was the most normal thing to do.

“Why would you do that?”

“I told you I would be waiting, didn’t I?”

 Jonghyun gaped at him, disbelieving. Sleeping on the ground for the whole night couldn’t have been comfortable and yet Minhyun did it just because of a small little promise that Jonghyun didn’t even think Minhyun would take to be so literal.

“You—” Jonghyun didn’t even know where to start, what to say.

“Whatever time you came, I made sure I would be right here, waiting for you.”

“W-waiting for me…” Jonghyun repeated idly, his mind still trying to process their conversation.

“Always.”

Overwhelmed by his emotions, the only thing Jonghyun could think to do was lean forward, burying his face into the crook of Minhyun’s neck as he pushed the other man down and snuggled into his side with one of Minhyun’s arms wrapped around his waist, cushioning him from the ground.

They lay there with just the sound of birds chirping in the distance until Minhyun shifted a little, turning his head towards Jonghyun who was still clinging onto his side.

“Not that I’m complaining,” he began, “but do you plan on staying like this all day?” he asked sounding amused.

“Or would you like to do some more exploring with me today?” Minhyun continued when Jonghyun didn’t respond.

“Yeah, let’s do that.” Jonghyun replied enthusiastically as he finally pulled away and sat up, allowing Minhyun to do the same.

Minhyun stood up first before offering a hand down to Jonghyun to help him up, but instead of letting go afterwards, he adjusted their hands, interlocking their fingers. Jonghyun’s gaze trailed from their interlinked fingers up to Minhyun’s face. The latter looked at Jonghyun with a hint of uncertainty etched on his face, as if unsure whether or not hand holding was okay, as if they hadn’t just been snuggling together on the ground.

“Let’s go?” Minhyun asked hesitantly.

“Yeah. Let’s go.” Jonghyun confirmed with a smile on his face and he tightened his grip on Minhyun’s hand, squeezing it in reassurance that yes, this was okay. In fact, it was more than okay.

 

\\\\\

 

Jonghyun wasn’t sure where Minhyun was leading him. The only thing that Minhyun had said as he led him by the hand deeper and deeper into the forest was that he wanted to show him all the beautiful sights that he himself had seen on his own runs through the forest. It was a statement that struck Jonghyun as a bit odd, because if Minhyun had been on so many runs through this area of the forest so close to Jonghyun’s village, why had they not met sooner? And also, why would Minhyun be in these parts of the forest if he didn’t live nearby? But he decided to ignore his own ponderings, deeming the questions in his mind insignificant and so he didn’t ask. Instead he contented himself with being pulled along by Minhyun who seemed to bubble with excitement as he gushed non-stop about all the places he had seen and all the places he wished to take Jonghyun one day.

The way that Minhyun was so nonchalantly talking about the two of them in the future, made his heart leap in his chest. He was thankful that he wasn’t the only one of the two of them that had been thinking about the future – their future.

Jonghyun was pulled out of his train of thought and his breath was stolen from his lungs the moment that Minhyun finally came to a halt and in front of him was a small glimmering lake that had been hidden away between the trees. The water gleamed crystal clear and sapphire under the morning sun, and at the far end of the lake, across from where they were stood, a gentle waterfall provided a constant source of water into the lake.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Minhyun asked softly.

Jonghyun merely nodded as he stood in awe of the fact that such a beautiful place could exist.

“The lake is a nice place to swim in, especially in the summer months when it’s hot. The water is refreshing.”

“I can’t swim…” Jonghyun trailed off, sounding regretful. He had never needed to learn to swim and having come from a land-locked village, it hadn’t really come up until now.

“I could teach you sometime.” Minhyun offered offhandedly.

“I’m rather good at swimming.” He continued smugly, throwing in a self-confident smirk for good measure.

Considering Minhyun’s broad shoulders and athletic build, Jonghyun certainly didn’t doubt that Minhyun could swim. He could practically imagine Minhyun gliding gracefully through the water as if it were second nature to him. And he could almost see the way that Minhyun’s pale skin would glisten under the summer sun as droplets of water would drip from his hair onto his shoulders, leaving a trail down his torso. It was a thought process that left Jonghyun blushing and with that in mind, for the sake of his own sanity, he decided that he should not let Minhyun teach him to swim.

But Minhyun had already moved on, having not waited for a response from him before tugging on his hand and signalling for him to follow as he made his way around the water’s edge.

They made their way carefully across the rocks that surrounded the lake, around the edge of the body of water.

“Careful of the rocks, they can be slippery.” Minhyun advised. Throwing Jonghyun a concerned and caring look over his shoulder, he added “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

The attentive tone of Minhyun’s voice made Jonghyun duck his head to hide the shy smile that threatened to take over his features.

As they continued to navigate over the rocks of the lakeside, Jonghyun made sure to be extra careful, just as Minhyun had advised. With Minhyun’s hand still tightly holding onto his own, he didn’t want his own clumsiness to be the downfall of the both of them.

Eventually, they reached the side of the waterfall. But instead of stopping there like Jonghyun thought that they would, Minhyun kept going, gently guiding Jonghyun along.

Minhyun must have sensed Jonghyun’s trepidation as he turned to Jonghyun and looked at him in the eye.

“Do you trust me, Jonghyun-ah?” he asked.

“Yes.” Jonghyun didn’t even need to think before the answer automatically came to him.

Minhyun grinned at him, satisfied by his response.

“Then you’re going to have to trust me and follow me along this small ledge.” He said as he pointed to a rocky path that protruded from the rock face and disappeared behind the waterfall.

He wasn’t lying when he told Minhyun that he trusted him, so giving Minhyun’s hand a light squeeze, he gestured for the other man to lead the way.

It wasn’t like the ledge was all that high up, maybe only a metre above the level of the lake, so Jonghyun wasn’t all too scared of following Minhyun across. Though he had to admit that he was a little sceptical as to where Minhyun was taking him. As they got closer and closer to the waterfall itself, he braced himself for the feeling of the cold water washing over him as they would soon walk directly into its path.

But the cold rush never came.

The path they were on seemed to diverge away from the water, leaving a gap just wide enough for them to pass, taking them behind the waterfall itself and into a small undercut area in the rock face.

The rock shelter was just a bit narrower than the waterfall itself, and not very deep – it looked to be just big enough for the two of them to be able to sit side by side with their legs outstretched before them.

The sunlight that managed to seep through into the small cavern ended up refracted by the water on its way in, creating a splattering of colour across all of the walls, reminiscent of a kaleidoscope.

 “I come here sometimes when I just want to be on my own.” Minhyun explained suddenly, drawing Jonghyun’s attention to him. “When the world outside is just a bit too loud, I hide here, where I can hear myself think with only the sound of the waterfall in the background.”

Jonghyun watched as Minhyun’s eyes glazed over, as if the memories of his time spent in this very cavern were beginning to play as a slideshow in his mind. From the sentimental look in his eye when he shook his head, snapping himself out of his reverie, Jonghyun could tell that this place meant a lot to Minhyun. It felt like Minhyun was showing Jonghyun one of the deeper parts of himself and he felt flattered that Minhyun had decided to share this with him – as if Jonghyun was someone special and meaningful to him.

“Thank you for showing me this place.” Jonghyun says quietly, feeling as though talking too loudly would break the delicate ambience that surrounded them.

Minhyun gently rubbed his thumb over Jonghyun’s own in response, the small gesture making Jonghyun fall even deeper into his own feelings for Minhyun.

But there was no time for him to dwell on it for too long as Minhyun began to pull him out of the cave and back out to the lakeside.

“Come on, there are more places I still want to show you.” Minhyun proclaimed with enthusiasm radiating from his words, and with Minhyun sounding so decidedly so passionate, Jonghyun had no choice but to submit himself to following Minhyun wherever he was planning to take him. Not that he ever would have protested anyway.

They left the lake behind them, heading back into the forest and going higher up in the mountains that surrounded the valley.

Jonghyun wasn’t as physically able as Minhyun, and so he found himself leaning on Minhyun every now and then, relying on the taller male to help haul himself up the mountain slope without slipping back down. Minhyun didn’t seem to mind all that much. The first time Jonghyun felt himself leaning into Minhyun’s sturdy frame for balance, Minhyun merely chuckled before letting go of Jonghyun’s hand in favour of wrapping his arm around Jonghyun’s waist to support him as they continued on their journey – although Jonghyun had to admit, he wasn’t sure how much better of that really made him when the sheer proximity of himself to Minhyun made him feel rather weak at the knees.

Thankfully, the walk up to their destination didn’t take too long, so by the time they got there, Jonghyun was only a slight bit out of breath and completely injury-free.

Their destination was the top of a cliff that overlooked much of the forest below them. There was a small rock sat a small distance from the edge of the clifftop that Jonghyun gingerly walked over to and took a seat upon, letting his tired feet rest somewhat. Minhyun followed him, less gingerly, and came to perch on the leftover space by his side, looking out and scanning his eyes over the forest below them.

From where they were, they could see the lake where they had just visited; a glimmering of blue peeking through the blanket of green. West of that, Jonghyun could see where his own village lay, and he could just about make out his own house among the cluster of similar looking buildings. He watched the small plumes of smoke rising up out of the chimneys, signalling that someone was home and had lit the fireplace. Then, just a bit further up North, would be where their clearing should lie. He could just about see the small space between the canopy of the trees where it should have been, but the place was just a bit too small and shrouded by a few too many tall, bushy trees to be seen clearly from such a distance.

“As beautiful as this place is, I’m not sure I would visit again.” Jonghyun joked as he faked being more out of breath than he truly was.

This elicited a sharp and piercing laugh from Minhyun, it was loud and distinct, sounding almost like a cackle, and just the sound of it made laughter bubble up and spill from Jonghyun’s own lips.

“Perhaps you need to exercise more.” Minhyun teased in return once his laughter had calmed down somewhat.

“I exercise plenty,” Jonghyun retorted with mock indignance, “We can’t all be like you.”

“Like me? What am I like?” Minhyun asked, feigning ignorance.

“You know what you’re like.” Jonghyun replied evasively with a roll of his eyes.

“Do I?” Minhyun quipped with a slight smirk and a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Jonghyun levelled him with a glare that blatantly portrayed how unamused he was by Minhyun’s obvious fishing for compliments.

The mock annoyance in Jonghyun’s eyes only set Minhyun off chortling once more, leading him to drape his gangly limbs all over Jonghyun as he gave up trying to support himself as he laughed.

Jonghyun couldn’t even bring himself to pretend to be all that annoyed for very long, soon giving up and letting fondness seep into his gaze as he took in the way the edges of Minhyun’s eyes crinkled as his laughter infected his entire face, making him emit an aura that was nothing short of heart-stopping.

Gradually Jonghyun turned and tilted his head to nudge his forehead against Minhyun’s temple, pushing him away slightly.

“If you keep laughing in my ear like this, I’m going to go deaf.”

His playful statement brought about a short giggle from Minhyun just as his laughs began to subside.

But even as Minhyun’s laughs began to fade away, the man himself didn’t pull away, leaving himself still draped over Jonghyun with his arms loosely hugging around his shoulders, his chest pressed against Jonghyun’s back and his chin coming down to rest on Jonghyun’s shoulder. Jonghyun could feel Minhyun’s soft breaths fanning against his ear, sending a jittery feeling shooting down his spine.

 “Are you rested? Ready to continue on?” Minhyun asked softly. Jonghyun could feel the slight brushing of Minhyun’s lips against the shell of his ear as his spoke. It made Jonghyun want to lean back and melt closer into Minhyun, but he resisted the urge.

He hummed in acknowledgement before continuing.

“Though can we just go back to our clearing, we can explore some more another day.” He added slightly lethargically.

Jonghyun didn’t need to turn his head to know that Minhyun’s lips had quirked up into a small smile; he could practically feel the slight curve of his thin lips against his own skin.

“Of course. Anything for you.” He said as he peeled himself away from Jonghyun and stood up, offering Jonghyun a hand which he gratefully accepted to help pull himself up.

The walk back down the mountain was far less strenuous that the climb up and so it didn’t take them long before they were able to make their way to the familiar cluster of rocks that lay interspersed by the grass.

It had already become second nature to them to amble over to that one larger rock in the centre and seat themselves down against it. It almost felt like a routine that they had created for themselves even though it hadn’t even been that long since the first time they found themselves in this very spot.

As if it were a commonplace occurrence, Jonghyun unwaveringly lay his head to rest against Minhyun’s shoulder, using it as a pillow as Minhyun’s arm snaked around his waist, encouraging him to shuffle in closer – not that Jonghyun needed much persuading.

Jonghyun’s eyes fluttered shut as he basked in the gentle heat radiated from Minhyun and enveloped him like a blanket. He could feel all of his aches and fatigue ebb away from his body as he allowed himself to melt into Minhyun’s embrace. Minhyun’s other hand, the one that hadn’t been resting comfortably on his waist, came up to entangle itself with Jonghyun’s own.

They sat there, content with just indulging themselves in each other’s presence, completely happy to just  _be_.

“It’s weird,” Jonghyun began, with his eyes still shut, “It’s weird that we haven’t even known each other for that long, yet I’m already so comfortable with you.”

Jonghyun felt Minhyun hum in agreement through the vibrations that emanated from his chest.

“It’s a good weird though.” Jonghyun clarified.

“I like that I feel like I can relax around you.” Jonghyun added as he opened his eyes and turned his head to meet Minhyun’s affectionate gaze.

“I like that I can trust you.” He whispered softly as they both subconsciously found themselves leaning in closer to one another.

“I like the way I feel complete when I’m with you.” Minhyun murmured in response as the gap between them got increasingly smaller. If they weren’t so close, Minhyun would probably have been able to watch a light flush spread across Jonghyun’s cheeks.

From up close, Jonghyun could see the way that Minhyun’s pupils had dilated and the way his eyes flitted between maintaining eye contact and down to glance at his lips. Jonghyun let out a shuddered breath in anticipation of what they both knew was about to happen. Minhyun angled his head down to rest their foreheads together, savouring the feeling of the two of them being so close together.

“I like you.” Minhyun finally whispered against Jonghyun’s mouth as they finally pressed their lips together.

They both sighed into the kiss, any lingering tension seeping away as they tried to convey the depth of their feelings for each other through gentle and sweet presses of their lips.

Jonghyun let go of his grip on Minhyun’s hand to tangle his fingers in the short hairs at the nape of Minhyun’s neck. Minhyun gasped softly and tightened his hold on Jonghyun’s waist as Jonghyun played with Minhyun’s hair, letting his nails occasionally lightly scrape against his scalp.

They traded innocent kisses for an indeterminable amount of time before they pulled back slightly, moving away only just far enough to once more press their foreheads together, close enough that their noses still brushed against one another’s.

Jonghyun felt Minhyun’s nose skim across his cheek as the latter moved to leave a soft kiss just under his left eye.

“I like you a lot.” Minhyun muttered, slightly out of breath. Jonghyun felt a semblance of pride at the thought that he had managed to make Minhyun so breathless just from his simple kisses.

“I like you a lot too.” Jonghyun responded quietly before Minhyun’s hand came up to cup his cheek and tilt his face back up to his so that he could slot their lips together once more.

They didn’t progress any further than short, but meaningful, presses of the lips. They weren’t in any rush to keep going further. They were fine with slow and delicate kisses, allowing themselves to fully appreciate the emotions each of them poured into their kisses rather than getting swept away by the strong currents of passion.

Eventually they separated from the kiss, returning to their previous position snuggled comfortably into each other as they continued to trade stories about their lives. Every now and then, Jonghyun would sense Minhyun leaning into him more to press his lips into his hair or feel Minhyun’s thumb stroking the sides of his own as he listened to Jonghyun speak with rapt attention.

And when it was Minhyun’s turn to talk, Jonghyun let himself find solace in the deep rumbling of Minhyun’s voice that he could feel reverberating through Minhyun’s chest.

Neither of them wanted such a perfect day to end, but as the sun began to drop below the mountains, they knew that their time was coming to an end.

Jonghyun grumbled under his breath as he stood up, quietly bemoaning the fact that the day was already coming to an end and also faintly complaining about the fact that Minhyun was adamantly against Jonghyun being in the forest after dark.

“You never know what might lurk in the forest in the dark, Jonghyun-ah.” Minhyun gently chided after having picked up on Jonghyun’s faint complaints.

Jonghyun stiffened knowing that he had been caught and his grumblings had been heard.

“Well, if I shouldn’t be in the forest after dark because it’s dangerous, neither should you.” Jonghyun countered.

“You’re not the only one who’s allowed to be worried.” Jonghyun added softly.

Minhyun’s expression softened upon hearing Jonghyun’s quiet concern seeping into his voice.

“I know, I just worry about you a lot and you never know what’s in the forest. Who knows what kind of animals lurk around with the specific purpose of snatching away people with the name ‘Jonghyun’?” Minhyun joked, gently lightening the mood.

“And besides,” Minhyun continued in a teasing tone, “it’s better me than you to be here after dark, after all, I’m the one with more physical prowess, and maybe I even have a few hidden tricks up my sleeve myself.”

Jonghyun playfully shoved at Minhyun’s shoulder for the, in his opinion, unnecessary commentary on his physical capabilities.

“‘Hidden tricks’? You mean you’ll just annoy any potential attackers to death, right?” Jonghyun teased in return.

Minhyun spluttered indignantly at the insinuation, making Jonghyun laugh at his sulking expression. Jonghyun took a step towards Minhyun to bundle him into a hug while he reassured Minhyun that he was just joking.

Pulling back, he looked up to see a slight pout still sitting on Minhyun’s lips, but he could tell by this point, Minhyun was just pretending.

“You should get going.” Minhyun told him, but his tight grip on Jonghyun’s hips betrayed his actual desire for him to stay.

But truthfully, Jonghyun knew that what he was saying was right, even if he didn’t want them to part so soon either. He slowly pulled himself out of Minhyun’s grasp to both of their dismay.

“Walk me back?” Jonghyun asked with hope colouring his words and a hand extended out towards Minhyun. He wasn’t quite ready for them to part just yet.

The reaction came instantaneously as Minhyun eagerly grasped Jonghyun’s hand with a self-satisfied grin on his face. And so, for the first time that day, it was Jonghyun’s turn to tug Minhyun along to where they needed to go.

They walked in comfortable silence, and to their collective chagrin, they arrived at the border between the forest and the village all too soon. Still shrouded by the thick foliage of the forest, Minhyun pulled Jonghyun into himself suddenly for one last toe-curling kiss.

“I’ll wait for you again tomorrow.” Minhyun promised as he pulled away slowly.

“Don’t go sleeping in the clearing again.” Jonghyun warned him with a sharp knock of their foreheads. “I’m busy in the morning, I’ll be able to meet you in the afternoon. Go home and sleep there.”

“Okay.” Minhyun said through a chuckle, “now it’s time for you to go, I’ll anticipate you in the afternoon.” he added with a press of his lips on Jonghyun’s forehead.

“You’re not doing a very good job at giving me an incentive to leave.” Jonghyun pointed out cheekily.

Minhyun fixed him with an unamused look before breaking into a smile at Jonghyun’s faked wide-eyed innocent gaze.

“Come on, get going, you need to rest.” Minhyun said as he all but shooed Jonghyun home.

“Fine, I’m going, I’m going.” Jonghyun replied as he turned and headed towards his home. Just as he was about to turn down a path that would put the forest border out of view, he turned around to see Minhyun still standing among the trees. He smiled and gave him a little wave before continuing on home.

Jonghyun drifted off to sleep peacefully that night with the sensation of Minhyun’s lips on his still lingering, guiding him into a serene slumber.

 

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The moment that Jonghyun completed his chores the next afternoon, he returned swiftly to the clearing, just as he said he would. When he arrived, Minhyun was already there waiting with a welcoming grin, just as he said he would be.

As Jonghyun approached him, he fixed Minhyun with a slightly accusatory glare.

“You didn’t sleep here again, did you?” he questioned with a suspecting tone.

Minhyun chortled in response, throwing his head back as his eyes crinkled into crescents as he laughed.

“No, you said you wouldn’t be here until the afternoon,” he started, “So I’ve only been sitting here since noon.”

The response was enough to mollify him, but he still rolled his eyes and sighed out of exasperated fondness as he sat down in his spot beside Minhyun.

“Don’t you have other things you would rather do, other than just sitting here and waiting?”

“No.” Minhyun answered simply. Jonghyun glanced at him sceptically upon hearing his tone which sounded far too cheerful and nonchalant but Minhyun was unfazed.

“So, what have you been doing today?” Minhyun asked, changing the subject.

“Not much,” Jonghyun shrugged, “just the same old chores that needed doing.”

“What about you?” He continued, “What were you doing before you decided, slightly unnecessarily, to sit here waiting for me?”

Minhyun decided to ignore the provocation and proceeded to just answer the question.

“Walking around, running around the forest. Same old things.” He replied also with a shrug.

Jonghyun flicked his eyes over Minhyun’s body, noting that the man looked just as immaculate as the first time Jonghyun had met him – just the same as every time Jonghyun met him. He wondered how Minhyun could maintain such a perfect appearance after running through the forests, up mountains and across valleys. If it were Jonghyun, he was sure that he would end up unkempt and sweaty and definitely not nearly as flawless and Minhyun always looked.

“You must know the forest so well…” Jonghyun mused to himself.

“I suppose, there’s a lot of places I know that I could show you. If you’re not too tired, we can go somewhere today?” he suggested.

But before Jonghyun could even answer, a slender red fox came bounding into the clearing. Jonghyun almost jumped in surprise at the sudden red furry blur that came seemingly out of nowhere. The fox slowed down as it entered the clearing, slowing to a light walking pace. Jonghyun watched as the fox glanced around its surroundings and as its gaze met theirs. It stopped when it saw them, as if it were shocked that they were there. Jonghyun froze for a moment, wondering if the fox would approach or just keep moving on.

Minhyun was the first to move as he relaxed and reached out to the fox. It, almost apprehensively, approached Minhyun’s outstretched hand as its eyes seemed to look at Jonghyun with uncertainty, but when it got close enough and neither of them had made a move towards it, it walked a little faster and let Minhyun run his hand over its fur.

“Hello there.” Minhyun greeted the fox jovially as his continued to stroke the fox’s fur.

The fox didn’t seem to mind, in fact it seemed to enjoy it if the slight curve of its mouth was any indication, but Jonghyun couldn’t help but be cautious nonetheless.

“A-are you sure that that’s a good idea?” Jonghyun asked tentatively. “The elders at the village, they taught us the wild foxes could be dangerous, they’ll bite.”

Minhyun seem unperturbed, continuing to pet the fox as if were just like a pet dog or a cat.

“Some of them will, but this one is in a friendly mood today.” Minhyun explained as the fox moved to playfully headbutt his hand.

“What are you, the fox whisperer?” Jonghyun laughed as he looked on, mesmerised, as Minhyun continued to fearlessly play with the fox.

“No, nothing like that,” Minhyun replied as he chuckled, “there’s a lot of foxes where I’m from, so I’m around them a lot.” He proceeded to explain.

“I’m practically one of them.” He joked as he began to snigger at his own private joke, one that Jonghyun was not privy to.

“Do you want to try petting it?” Minhyun turned to him and asked suddenly.

“Don’t worry, it’s not going to hurt you,” he added as he sensed Jonghyun’s hesitation and unease, “and in any case, I’ll be here to protect you.”

Jonghyun gave him a sharp nod, trusting in Minhyun’s words.

Minhyun flashed him a reassuring smile and gave his hand a light squeeze before guiding his hand to slowly reach out to the fox. It peered curiously at Jonghyun, as if assessing how much of a threat he was. Its eyes flickered between Jonghyun and Minhyun, as if questioning the latter whether Jonghyun was a threat. In a strange exchange of eye contact that made Jonghyun think that perhaps Minhyun really was a fox whisperer, Minhyun encouraged the fox to slowly pad towards Jonghyun’s minutely quivering hand.

The moment Jonghyun’s hand met soft fur, he began to relax as he let his hand lightly trail over the short hairs on the fox’s head and to lightly scratch behind its ears as he had seen Minhyun do earlier.

“You’re right to be cautious about some foxes, some of them can be quite hostile. But some of them are more like this one, friendlier and happier to let you approach.” Minhyun told him.

“How can you tell which are hostile and which are approachable?” Jonghyun asked, curious.

“You just have to be careful, there’s no easy way to know for sure straight away.” Minhyun warned him, “be sure to approach slowly and let it decide if it wants to be friendly or not. If it does, go slowly and don’t startle it. If not, well, just stay away and don’t go any closer or it will bite you.”

Jonghyun nodded as he processed this information. He made sure he would remember it for if he ever came across any wild foxes on his own.

“We got lucky with this one today, he’s just a big softie.” Minhyun mused, chuckling when the fox yipped and playfully tried to bite at his hand, apparently indignant at being described as such.

“It seems rather smart, it’s like it knows what you’re saying…” Jonghyun observed.

“Most of the animals which are native to the forest do seem a bit smarter than your average ones outside the forest, as if they’re imbued with the magic that surrounds this area.”

“You really do know a lot about this forest.”

 “I’ve spent a lot of time around here, there’s not much about the forest that’s a mystery to me anymore.”

“Someone’s got a high opinion of themselves.” Jonghyun teased impishly.

“I want to show it to you, everything.” Minhyun said, not rising to Jonghyun’s bait. “That is, if you’ll let me?” he asked with a hint of uncertainty, as if Jonghyun would ever consider doing anything but agreeing wholeheartedly.

“Of course.” Jonghyun said unwaveringly before cupping Minhyun’s cheek and tilting his head down with the intention of bringing their lips together.

But before he could, Minhyun stiffened and pulled back from his grasp, looking away from Jonghyun and coughing awkwardly.

Jonghyun couldn’t deny that he didn’t feel at least a little bit hurt, but he tried not to let that feeling take over too much as he called out to Minhyun with a question burning on the tip of his tongue.

“Erm, sorry.” Minhyun apologised as he awkwardly scratched the back of his neck, “It’s just…”

“What is it?” Jonghyun encouraged patiently.

“The fox…” Minhyun finally said. Jonghyun raised his eyebrows, not expecting those to be the first words from Minhyun’s mouth. Truthfully, he had forgotten about the fox that was currently nudging its head against Minhyun’s other side, as he got caught up in the moment that Minhyun had just broken.

“What about it?” he asked confused.

“As you said, it’s  _smart_ … it can  _see_.” Minhyun said by way of explanation.

“So… what you’re telling me is that you’re shy… in front of a  _fox_?” Jonghyun asked incredulously.

Minhyun’s answer to Jonghyun’s question came in the form of his slowly rising blush and the way he turned his head away in an attempt to hide it. An attempt that failed. He watched, fascinated, as Minhyun’s face began to redden, his blush rising steadily from his neck and all the way up to the tips of his ears.

Jonghyun snorted and broke out into laughter as Minhyun continued to struggle with his flushing cheeks. Purposefully, Jonghyun leaned over to leave a quick kiss on Minhyun’s warm cheeks, just to rile him up further.

“Does this mean I can’t kiss you when there’s any wildlife around?”

“No, you can,” Minhyun rushed to assuage him, “just… not around foxes…”

“Why not foxes?” Jonghyun questioned quizzically.

“Because they’re the smartest.” Minhyun replied swiftly.

“That’s ridiculous, and I’m fairly certain there are other species of animals that would want to contest that if they could, but fine, okay.”

“Nope, foxes are the best. No contest.” Minhyun said definitively. “And you can’t protest.” He quickly added as he saw Jonghyun opening his mouth to say something.

The fox by Minhyun’s side began to make a noise that sounded a lot like laughter before wriggling away from Minhyun’s warmth and bounding into the forest again, leaving just the two of them alone once more.

Minhyun turned back to Jonghyun after having watched the fox’s retreat in the trees.

“Well you can kiss me all you want now.” Minhyun said audaciously as he leaned in closer to Jonghyun. But Jonghyun moved away before he could get too close.

“Nope, don’t want to now.” Jonghyun replied mischievously. “The moment is gone now, you ruined it.”

He bit back a laugh as Minhyun whined at the supposed injustice of Jonghyun’s statement. But all thoughts of laughing left him when Minhyun suddenly stopped whining and moved right into his space, startling him and making him gasp when he felt Minhyun’s hot breath against his ear.

“And what if I bring the moment back?” Minhyun muttered, his voice dropping to a lower and more sultry pitch.

“H-how would you do that?” Jonghyun asked, not wanting to give in so quickly to what Minhyun was trying to do.

Instead of telling him, Minhyun seemed far more interested in showing him. Jonghyun’s breath hitched as Minhyun began to leave a trail of kisses following his jawline and then down his neck and then back up again, finishing with a light press of his lips just left of Jonghyun’s own. Of their own accord, Jonghyun’s hands had come up to tangle in Minhyun’s hair as the latter cradled Jonghyun’s cheek in one of his own. Minhyun pulled away slightly, leaving their faces just inches apart as his hand tilted Jonghyun’s head up so that all he would have to do would be lean down just a tiny bit and they would be kissing.

“Is it back yet?” Minhyun asked, “or do you need some more convincing?”

Jonghyun’s eyelids fluttered shut as he tried to calm down his heavily beating heart that he was sure that Minhyun could probably hear.

He gasped in surprise as he felt Minhyun’s lip suddenly moving against his own, the latter having taken the opportunity as Jonghyun’s eyes shut to finally lean in fully.

The kiss started out soft and slow, just as all their previous ones had been. But then Jonghyun’s hands began wandering over the broad expanse of Minhyun’s back, fingers clenching into the fabric of Minhyun’s shirt as Minhyun ran his tongue along the seam of Jonghyun’s lips, a silent request for permission to take turn their sweet and innocent kisses into something else. Something more heated. It was permission that Jonghyun readily gave as he parted his lips slightly against Minhyun’s smiling lips.

Jonghyun didn’t know how long it was until they pulled away, but when they did, he felt his face heat up when he took in Minhyun’s dishevelled hair and his red and slightly swollen lips. He imagined he didn’t look much better.

Somehow during the past however long, his hands had made their way through Minhyun’s hair and shirt, leaving Minhyun’s hair sticking up in odd places and wrinkles all over his shirt where he had tightened his grip on it as he had tried to pull Minhyun even closer to him. Meanwhile, one of Minhyun’s hands had slipped under the hem of his jumper and rested lightly on the bare skin of his waist, as the other remained cupping his cheek.

“You’re ridiculous, I hope you know that.” Jonghyun reiterated as he pressed their foreheads together and their laboured breaths mixed together in the small space between them.

Minhyun chuckled as he left a kiss on the tip of Jonghyun’s nose.

“Maybe I am.” Minhyun shrugged with the remnants of a smile on his face, “But if I can get to kiss you like that regardless, I don’t care.”

Jonghyun wriggled out of Minhyun’s grasp, pushing the latter away so that they were once more seated side by side and not almost on top of one another.

“And what if I don’t let you?” Jonghyun countered with an eyebrow arched.

“I don’t think you could resist.” Minhyun replied roguishly, his response making Jonghyun reach over to slap him jokingly on the arm.

“But as much as I’d love to sit here with you all day,” Minhyun began, effectively changing the subject, “as I said, there are still more things to see, are you up for seeing them?”

“Of course.” Jonghyun chirped energetically as he jumped up from the ground.

 

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After that day, their daily rendezvous continued just as they had before. They always began with Minhyun patiently waiting in their clearing and ended with the two of them parting ways in the same clearing. And every night, Jonghyun would fail to notice the auburn-haired fox that silently follow him home acting as a guardian to ensure his safety all the way from the clearing back to his village.

The only difference now was that their daily excursions into the forest were punctuated with random breaks and stops whenever Minhyun decided to steal a kiss or whenever Minhyun said anything particularly endearing and Jonghyun couldn’t hold himself back.

For a whole two weeks, they spent as much of their time together as they possibly could and the only complaint that either of them had would be that that time was still not enough.

 

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Jonghyun ran out of the house the moment he finished with his chores for the day. He hadn’t expected his tasks to take so long and so the previous day, he had told Minhyun that he would be able to see him by the early afternoon.

It was almost early evening by the time Jonghyun was done.

On the one hand he hoped that Minhyun was still there waiting for him, but on the other hand, he hoped that Minhyun would have had the sense to leave after being kept waiting for so long.  

When the clearing was in sight, he managed to just make out Minhyun’s lean figure laying down on the grass in their spot. Jonghyun felt a mixture of joy and relief surge through him knowing that Minhyun had stayed waiting for him.

Jonghyun burst into the clearing with apologies and explanations for his tardiness spilling from his lips in between his deep gasps for air. But as Minhyun sat up next to Jonghyun, he didn’t even seem the tiniest bit annoyed or frustrated at Jonghyun’s lateness.

“It’s fine.” Minhyun said placatingly as he wrapped an arm around Jonghyun and pulled him down so that they were now both lying down. Jonghyun automatically shuffled in to bury his head into the crook of Minhyun’s neck and to wrap an arm lazily across Minhyun’s waist.

“I’d stay here waiting for forever and a day if I got to see you at the end of it.”

Jonghyun lifted his head to meet Minhyun's sincere gaze. It was bewildering to him that Minhyun could say such things so regularly as if it were nothing, but to Jonghyun, those words meant everything.

That wasn't to say that Jonghyun didn't think that Minhyun didn't mean what he said, only that the way Minhyun blatantly confessed these truths to him made it seem like Minhyun really did feel this way - he didn't need to think long and hard searching for things to say because the things he said were just the things he was thinking and nothing else.

The world around them dissipated away from their focus as the two of them stayed there, lying side by side, just gazing into each other's eyes. Jonghyun began to slide his hand up from Minhyun's waist, up his torso, until he could feel the steady thumping of Minhyun's heart under his palm.

Jonghyun felt his head jostled minutely as Minhyun's arm that had been cushioning his neck shifted so that Minhyun could reach up with his fingers to lightly card through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Minhyun..." Jonghyun whispered softly, even though Minhyun's attention was already solely focused on him.

Minhyun hummed in acknowledgment as Jonghyun's hand proceeded to trail up to his face where his thumb began to stroke the soft skin of his cheek.

Jonghyun stopped the movement, stilling his thumb to let is just rest atop Minhyun's cheekbone, before taking a breath to prepare himself for what he was about to say.

"I love you." He said plainly and honestly, finally saying it aloud even though he had long since known that his heart belonged to Minhyun almost from the moment that they met.

It was almost scary how hard and how fast he fell for Minhyun. It almost didn't seem real, but everything in his heart and mind told him that everything that he felt was most definitely real.

There was a moment of silence and Minhyun's eyes widened as he processed Jonghyun's confession. But it didn't take long before Minhyun was pulling Jonghyun in for a searing kiss as he murmured the same three words back to him against his lips.

Both relieved and overjoyed that they both felt the same, endlessly repeated the same confession as a mantra. The words were whispered into the space between them as they pulled apart for air and murmured against each other's skin as if they were branding the words there permanently.

They were the words that endlessly spun through Jonghyun's mind as he sighed into Minhyun's mouth as Minhyun shifted so that he lay on top of Jonghyun, his thighs either side of Jonghyun's hips and their bodies pressed closely together. They were the words that, along with calls of Minhyun's name, were choked out between gasps of pleasure as they mapped out one another with their hands and as Minhyun trailed kisses across Jonghyun's body. And they were whimpered into the skin at the crook of Minhyun's neck as the latter pressed into Jonghyun one final time and brought him pleasure beyond anything he had ever experienced.

Those three little words were the only thing that were on Jonghyun's mind as he settled his head on top of Minhyun's rapidly rising and falling chest, as his eyes fluttered shut and he slowly drifted off to sleep surrounded by Minhyun's warmth.

 

\\\\\

 

When Jonghyun next woke up, it was the next morning and he was still encircled by Minhyun’s comforting arms. He could feel Minhyun’s soft breaths puffing against his hair as he slept and being so surrounded by Minhyun and his presence brought him a welcome feeling of serenity.

Jonghyun spent a few minutes basking in the feeling of being so close to Minhyun before he sensed the latter gently stirring awake from his slumber.

“Good morning.” Jonghyun greeted gently as he leant up to press him lips against the underside of Minhyun’s jaw, eliciting a soft sleepy smile from him.

“Good morning indeed...” Minhyun mumbled with his eyes still closed, “I wish I could wake up like this every morning.” He added as he tightened his embrace.

Jonghyun hummed in agreement as he buried his head into Minhyun’s sturdy chest.

Jonghyun let himself indulge in this little idyllic moment before he eventually decided to pull away and sat up. Minhyun finally opened his eyes and looked at him with questioning eyes.

“I should probably head back; my parents might be worried since I didn’t return home last night.”

Minhyun nodded in understanding and loosened his grip around Jonghyun.

“Will you still be around if I come back later?”

“That desperate to see more of me?” Minhyun asked playfully, accompanying a smug smirk.

At the sight of Jonghyun’s unamused eye-roll, Minhyun laughed before sitting up properly.

“But yes, I’ll still be here if you come back.” He assured him, “I meant it when I said I would always wait for you.”

Jonghyun leaned in to plant a chaste kiss on Minhyun’s lips before standing himself up on slightly shaky legs. He stumbled momentarily before he regained his balance.

“Are you alright? Need me to walk you back?” Minhyun asked, concerned.

Jonghyun refused with a shake of his head before insisting that he was fine, his legs were just a little unstable after just waking up. He proceeded to tell Minhyun that he could just stay and rest for a little while longer, he didn’t think he had any chores to tend to and so could probably be back fairly soon.

Minhyun agreed, albeit slightly reluctantly, before letting Jonghyun head home by himself.

 

\\\\\

 

Jonghyun’s parents were, fortunately, not that angry that Jonghyun had not made it home the previous night. They had reasoned that Jonghyun, being an adult, didn’t really have a set curfew and they trusted him to be responsible and to be able to take care of himself. More than anything, they were just concerned for his safety, it was known that the forest was mostly a safe place, but just like Minhyun had pointed out, you never knew what other things might lurk in the forest. They warned him to be careful, but on the whole, they knew that the forest was mostly safe.

After a brief talk with his parents about letting them know in advance the next time he wouldn’t be home to save them the worrying, he was left with a free day which he intended to make good use of.

He quickly washed off any sweat and grime that had accumulated from the previous day before changing into fresh clothes and heading back out the front door with a quick warning to his parents that he didn’t know when he would be back. He wasn’t exactly planning to spend the night in the forest again but sometimes the time just got away from him, or he would get too caught up in a moment to want to leave, and so it was nice that now, he might not necessarily need to leave.

In almost record time, Jonghyun was once again back in the forest clearing. He didn’t think it had been more than a couple of hours since he had been there, and he was back already.

But one thing was different to all the other times when he had been at the clearing.

Minhyun wasn’t there.

Not that he always needed Minhyun to be with him, but it felt weird to Jonghyun to be in their special place by himself.

Without knowing why, he gingerly made his way to his usual seat and sat down, feeling a little uncomfortable that it was so silent and empty.

Minhyun had said that he would be there when Jonghyun came back and usually, he would be. He had gotten so used to seeing Minhyun there waiting for him that not having him there was a little jarring.

Perhaps Minhyun had quickly run home or to wherever to clean up, not having thought that Jonghyun would be so quick in getting back. It was a reasonable assumption, he supposed, it would be absurd if Minhyun never returned home or showered.

So, for once, it was Jonghyun that was left waiting. He wondered idly about what exactly Minhyun did when he was usually waiting for himself. Every time that Jonghyun had arrived at the clearing, Minhyun was always there waiting and looking unbothered to be spending so much of his time just sitting around.

Jonghyun turned his head suddenly when he heard a rustle coming from the bushes to his right, but scanning the area, he saw nothing that could have made the noise. It was probably just the wind. And in any case, it certainly wasn’t Minhyun – he would have seen him. He tried not to feel too disappointed as he turned back to stare blankly at the patch of grass before him.

Jonghyun didn’t know for how long he was waiting; it felt like at least an hour or so by the time that Minhyun came stumbling back into the clearing. He looked more frazzled than Jonghyun had ever seen him before. His clothes were a little rumpled and Jonghyun thought he could see some specs of dirt clinging to the bottom of his trousers. His dark auburn hair was wind swept and some of it was sticking up at odd angles at the back of his head. A bright flush was prominent and evident on his face; he seemed like he had just been running judging from the way that Minhyun panted heavily as he made his way over to Jonghyun.

“Minhyun!” Jonghyun exclaimed out of relief and happiness to see Minhyun again.

As he approached, Jonghyun stood, a mask of concern falling over his face as he continued to take in Minhyun’s dishevelled appearance. There seemed to be an odd look on Minhyun’s face as he got closer, but Jonghyun couldn’t quite discern what it meant. It looked like a mixture of confusion and distress, but he wasn’t sure, and he didn’t know what could even make such emotions appear on Minhyun’s face.

“Are you alright?” he asked as he scanned over Minhyun’s form to see if there were any visible signs of any physical ailments.

“Hmm? Um… Yeah.” Minhyun said tersely whilst reaching up to brush down his hair.

Jonghyun was unconvinced but he let it drop, trusting that if there really was anything seriously wrong, Minhyun would tell him.

“Did you run here?” he asked, addressing Minhyun’s slight state of breathlessness.

“Yeah, I had run back home to, uh, clean up a little bit.” Minhyun explained as he threw what was probably supposed to be a reassuring smile onto his face. “I didn’t think I would take so long, I hope you weren’t waiting long.”

Jonghyun shook his head and assured him that it wasn’t long at all and compared to all the time that Minhyun had spent waiting for him, he had barely spent a moment waiting.

“You say you went to clean up, but I don’t think you did a very good job.” Jonghyun quipped as he gestured down to the mud on Minhyun’s trousers and his general unkempt appearance.

“Well, that’s because I was in a rush to get back to you of course.” Minhyun replied smoothly as he tilted his head down to leave a quick kiss on the end of Jonghyun’s nose.

Jonghyun rolled his eyes at the cheesy line, pretending to be annoyed by it. But his façade was broken by the small, pleased, smile that wormed its way onto his face.

They didn’t spend much time doing much wandering around new parts of the forest that day, deciding just to walk leisurely around the nearby area, neither of them feeling energetic enough to go on a proper hike through the forest.

That day, Jonghyun returned home a fair bit before sunset, much earlier than he usually would. Minhyun had noticed Jonghyun’s constant yawning and his general state of fatigue and insisted on sending him home early so that Jonghyun could rest properly in his own bed. And just like every other day, they agreed to meet the next day, this time at around noon.

As he had done all the nights before, Jonghyun turned and left the clearing and headed back home. Except on this night, there were no golden-brown eyes watching over him as he walked through the forest. That fox was nowhere to be seen.  

 

\\\\\

 

At noon the next day, Jonghyun promptly made his way into the forest and was surprised when Minhyun was nowhere to be seen. Just like the previous day, there was an unsettling feeling brewing in the pit of his stomach as he entered the empty clearing. However, it was different from the previous day this time. The day before, they didn’t have an agreed upon time to meet so for Minhyun to not be there, well there was nothing here nor there about that. But for Minhyun to not be there when they had agreed upon a time, that was as yet unheard of. It made Jonghyun worry that perhaps something had happened that meant Minhyun couldn’t make it. While he didn’t mind if Minhyun was busy and couldn’t meet him, he couldn’t stand the thought that Minhyun could be unwell or injured.

It was perhaps about half an hour before Jonghyun heard footsteps nearing and turned to watch Minhyun pushing his way through the forest foliage, gradually making his way to where Jonghyun sat. To Jonghyun’s relief, Minhyun didn’t look sick nor injured, but there was something about the look in his eye that gave the impression of panic and discomfort.

“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Minhyun offered apologetically as he sat down beside Jonghyun and entwined their hands together loosely, “I had some trouble getting here on time today.” He said vaguely.

“Was something the matter?” Jonghyun asked.

“No, no, it was nothing like that…” Minhyun trailed off before adding “I, um, had some things I needed to do this morning that took longer than I thought they would.”

Jonghyun nodded understandingly. It made sense that Minhyun also had responsibilities that he had to tend to, that he had other things that required his attention. It would be absurd if all he ever did with his time was wait for Jonghyun. Jonghyun had never thought that sitting around waiting for him had been a good use of Minhyun’s time so he was glad that Minhyun was starting to spend his time more productively. Before they had met, Minhyun surely had to have been doing something to fill his days so it was good that Minhyun was going back to that.

 

\\\\\

 

From that day, they agreed to meet at around noon, giving them both the full morning to fulfil their own responsibilities at home. In a slight change of pace, Jonghyun would always be on time, but only maybe half the time would Minhyun already be there waiting for him. Sometimes he would be there, just like he always used to be. Other times, he would arrive a bit later on and usually looking a little unkempt and dishevelled as if Minhyun had gotten out of bed and dressed himself in a hurry. He never kept Jonghyun waiting for long though.

Not to begin with anyway.

At first, Jonghyun only spent maybe half an hour or so waiting for Minhyun to turn up, but as time went by, the waits got longer and Jonghyun found himself waiting more and more often.

He didn’t think much of it initially, Minhyun was allowed to be busy and Jonghyun had no right to complain about waiting when Minhyun had done so much waiting for him. Not that he had ever wanted to complain in the first place.

Eventually, as Minhyun got less and less punctual, Jonghyun suggested that they just meet later on so that Minhyun could have time in the morning to do whatever it was that he did and wouldn’t be in a rush to get to Jonghyun.

When he had brought it up to Minhyun, the taller man had given him a relieved and thankful look but Jonghyun could have sworn he saw a hint of pain flashing through his eyes. It had only been there for a moment, lasting barely a second. Jonghyun was barely convinced that it had been there at all, and he could see no reason for it in any case.

And that was fine, meeting up a bit later was fine. If they weren’t arriving at the same time, Minhyun was there early, just as he had been before.

And it really was fine for a while, Jonghyun liked to think that he was understanding as a person and he realised that other people had busy schedules.

For the most part, he was just still happy to be able to see Minhyun every day. Being able to see Minhyun every day was a privilege, and it was one that he treasured immensely. Even if Minhyun sometimes had to leave suddenly without warning, an excuse at the ready, it was fine. If Jonghyun still got to see Minhyun, even just for a moment, it was fine.

He couldn’t say that he wasn’t upset that his time with Minhyun was gradually decreasing. He couldn’t say he wasn’t hurt by the so obviously fake excuses that Minhyun flung his way – because honestly, who would suddenly rush off claiming a need to pee, only to not return for the rest of the afternoon? He couldn’t say that he wasn’t concerned by the way Minhyun suddenly always seemed so… conflicted around him, as if he had something to say but couldn’t. Or wouldn’t.

He had thought about suggesting to Minhyun that they didn’t need to see each other every day if the other was too busy to meet him. Having to wait an extra day or two between their meetings would be unpleasant but it was impossible. And just as Minhyun had said before, Jonghyun would also wait forever and a day if he got to see Minhyun after it all. But when he brought it up to the other, Minhyun had shaken his head, telling Jonghyun that he didn’t think he could stand a day without him now that he had grown so used to seeing him every day.

Inwardly, Jonghyun was relieved. Minhyun’s admission had managed to sooth the worries and concerns that Jonghyun almost didn’t know he had but that had been secretly plaguing his mind whenever he was alone and left to toy with the idea that Minhyun no longer wanted to spend as much time together as before. But that didn’t mean those thoughts went away completely.

Jonghyun tried not to think about it too much. He tried not to let his own concerns ruin the time that he could spend with Minhyun. He cherished every moment that they could be together. Every moment that they could spend together was precious to him. He poured these emotions into every touch and embrace, into every kiss that they shared, hoping that Minhyun could feel the depth of his emotions. Hoping that Minhyun felt the same.

Hoping that the feeling that Minhyun was pulling away from him was just a figment of his own imagination.

But it was hard to ignore the signs, as hard as he might try to.

Before, Minhyun had seemed so carefree and alive whenever he was around Jonghyun. His beaming smiles were a regular occurrence and the sounds of his laughter could often be heard ringing through the forest. But nowadays, more often than not, his smiles were tinged with weariness and a hint of sadness, the laughs seemed strained and there seemed to be a hint of regret in his eyes every time he looked at Jonghyun. And all Jonghyun could ask himself was what had he done that meant that every look Minhyun seemed to throw at him was now laced with a tinge of sadness and pain.

But so long as Minhyun kept promising to come back and meet Jonghyun again, Jonghyun would keep meeting him there.

 

\\\\\

 

On the afternoon that Jonghyun fell asleep on Minhyun’s shoulder as they sat in the clearing, that was the first time that they didn’t promise to meet again the next day.

That day, they had just been sitting together in their place, their clearing, resting after a short hike through the forest. Jonghyun had already been sleepy, he hadn’t been able to sleep much in the more recent nights, and so found himself leaning against Minhyun’s shoulder, beginning to drift off to sleep.

Minhyun had noticed and tried to persuade Jonghyun to just go home and sleep in his own bed where surely it would have been more comfortable. Jonghyun tried to ignore the ache in his heart as Minhyun carefully tried to tell him to go home. A few weeks ago, he would have just let Jonghyun sleep there, maybe would have even fallen asleep alongside him and they would have laid there in each other’s embrace as the sun slowly disappeared behind the mountains, sharing their warmth as the moon rose over the wispy clouds. But not anymore.

“Just… let me stay for a little longer?” Jonghyun had asked quietly, but just loud enough for his voice to be heard clearly over the soft rustling of grass as a light breeze filtered through the trees.

Minhyun had hesitated and tensed noticeably upon hearing Jonghyun’s request but had agreed with a slight sigh.

“Just for a bit.”

Jonghyun had smiled minutely as he drifted off to sleep, and for the first time in a while, he had slept peacefully, his dreams untainted by his worries and concerns.

But his tranquil sleep had ended abruptly when he woke up in the middle of the night, shivering from the bitter cold air. And Minhyun wasn’t there. he had fallen asleep pressed against Minhyun’s warmth but when he woke up, he was gone, leaving Jonghyun leaning only on the rock behind him.

He had whispered into the darkness to check if Minhyun was still around but there had been no response. He had carefully trudged around the perimeter of the clearing, squinting into the darkness to see if Minhyun was there. But he wasn’t.

And that night, after Jonghyun had slumped back against the rock once more, that was also the first time that Jonghyun shed tears for Minhyun and the fact that, despite all the touches, the kisses, and the promises, Minhyun no-longer appeared to love him the same way he used to.

Eventually, the tears had subsided and Jonghyun dragged himself up and forced himself to make his way home, back to his own bed where he lay awake and restless for the rest of the night.

What he didn’t know what that only a few metres away from where he had been sat earlier, hidden in the bushes that lay just a short distance from the edge of the clearing, Minhyun lay clenching his teeth, biting down hard on his bottom lip to muffle the sound of his groans as he found himself subject to a transformation that had come unexpectedly too soon for him to run further away from where Jonghyun lay. He had had barely enough time to wriggle himself away from Jonghyun’s warmth before he found himself collapsing onto the forest floor, pawing at the dirt as his body forced itself through his most painful transformation to date.

Unbeknownst to Jonghyun, while he had entered his house, the auburn haired fox that had usually watched over him as he journeyed back, was curled up into a tight ball, right where Minhyun had previously been, letting out soft whimpers as it battled with itself and struggled to break free of the form that had been forced upon it.

 

\\\\\

 

Jonghyun returned to the empty clearing the next afternoon. No promises had been made the previous night, but he sat down and waited with a small spark of hope burning in his chest that maybe Minhyun would still turn up.

He waited and waited, his hope beginning to slowly wane as the night air grew colder and less hospitable. And for the second night in a row, he dragged himself home with a heavy heart and a million questions flurrying through his mind.

It became part of his new routine; waiting for a day when Minhyun would show up again. Day after day, he would sit down in his usual spot and wait for a familiar tall and lean frame to come into view through the foliage of the forest. But day after day, Minhyun was still nowhere to be seen.

It had been just over a week since Jonghyun last saw Minhyun, since that night that he had fallen asleep on his shoulder and woken up alone.  

It was on the ninth day after the last time that Jonghyun saw Minhyun that his hope finally fizzled out, finally accepting that Minhyun wasn’t going to come back.

It was on the ninth day that he decided that the ninth day would be the last day that he would sit and wait for a Minhyun that wasn’t going to return.

Unlike other days, he didn’t head straight for the clearing. Instead he took a detour and visited the lakeside and the cave hidden behind the waterfall that Minhyun had once shown him. It had been such a special place to Minhyun, he knew that, but it looked like no one had been there since they had all those weeks ago. Their footprints were still there, preserved in the dust and the dirt of the cave, only interrupted by smaller paw prints of some animal that must have ventured into there.

He would have wanted to also visit the clifftop where he and Minhyun had overlooked the forest, but without Minhyun there to guide him and help him get there, he didn’t think he should risk getting lost or injured.

Deciding that he would settle for just visiting the cave, he began to make his way to the clearing after feasting his eyes once more on the lake that he would likely never visit again.

Sitting in his usual spot, he took the time to trail his eyes over as much of the clearing as he could, as if committing it to memory. He wouldn’t be coming back here anymore either, but he still wanted to remember it. The clearing wasn’t particularly beautiful, after all it was just a patch of grass hidden in the trees. But it was where he had shared so many warm memories with Minhyun, so even if it was plain and boring, it was still one of the most meaningful places to Jonghyun. As much as he would have loved to continue to visit the place to recall all the times that he and Minhyun had spent together, he decided it would be best if he didn’t. He didn’t want to taint such a special place with the sorrow and loneliness that came with the painful memories of a love that had been too short lived.

This would have to be the last time.

It was only when he felt the tears drip onto his hand did he realise that he was crying. He wiped away the tears with the sleeve of his shirt as he tried futilely to make them stop before ducking his head into his arms and letting the sobs rack through his body. His tears flowed endlessly for a person he was almost certainly never going to see again.

As Jonghyun let his sobs take over, tears also began to flow from the golden-brown eyes of a fox that stood secluded by the trees as it watched Jonghyun continue to be consumed by a grief that it had caused. It yearned to go nearer, to comfort the crying man but it knew it couldn’t. It was no longer someone Jonghyun recognised. Not in this form. It stayed for just as long as Jonghyun did, before trailing him home from a distance, making sure Jonghyun got back safely – just as it had for the past 9 days and almost all the days since Jonghyun had first met Minhyun – before turning and running back into the forest to a place near the clearing, back to its own den where the fox curled up and cried at the injustice of a love that was impossible, a relationship that ended too soon, and the hearts that were left shattered and scarred.

 

_In a place that was full of love, my time with you was like a sweet fantasy._

_Sadly, it was a fantasy that had to end._

**Author's Note:**

> So............. How was it? Sufficiently sad? Not sad enough? I actually had an epilogue of sorts planned but it just gets progressively more sad from here so I thought I'd just spare everyone all of that 
> 
> For links to other 2hyun content for this week, we're trying our best to compile it in threads on twitter, in addition to the official Twohyun Week 2018 AO3 Collection.
> 
> Link to [@twohyunweek](https://twitter.com/twohyunweek)
> 
> Feel free to come and scream at me for that or just to talk to me - Comments here on AO3 are also very welcome :3
> 
> Find me on twitter [@nightberrypearl](https://twitter.com/nightberrypearl) or my [Curious Cat](https://curiouscat.me/nightberrypearl)


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